Selling Ebooks? How to Price Your Product to Make Money Online

Ebook sellers like me struggle to figure out to price products to make money online. A conversation with a business mentor recently just made things a lot easier, however. Let me explain.

Recently, I raised the price on my SEO writing ebook – significantly (from $9.95 to $39.95). I did it after speaking with an old business mentor. I was telling her about how well the ebook was selling and the success a few buyers had told me they experienced after buying it. We went on to talk about other things and at the end of our conversation she said, “Email me that ebook. I want to know just what you told people that can get them up and running so quickly.”

Selling Ebooks Online: Advice from a Small Business Mentor

Over the next few days, I emailed her the book and within 24 hours of reading it she said:

You have to stop giving away your experience so cheaply. What you’re really imparting here is knowledge it took you years — and thousands of dollars in mistakes — to learn. You’re trading that for a few dollars — and creating more competition for yourself in the meantime. If I were you I’d either raise the price, or take it off the market.

She was so forceful about it, almost angry (she’s usually very mildmannered) that I got to thinking. FYI, you can use the following information in any business situation where you find yourself wondering, “How much should I charge?”

Ebook Sellers — Putting Your Knowledge on Sale: How Much Is It Worth?

When it comes to selling information online, I think most ebook writers struggle with price. But, when my mentor said, “What you’re really imparting here is knowledge it took you years — and thousands of dollars in mistakes — to learn. You’re trading that for a few dollars …” something resonated within me and I got a little angry at myself to be honest. Why?

I thought of the hours I spent researching SEO writing online, the years I’ve spent learning how to market by trial and error, the countless times I’ve lost money on marketing campaigns until I hit on something that worked — all of this went into the ebook.

And, I thought, how much do consultants charge for this type of knowledge? How much would it be worth on the open market? If I worked for someone else in a job I hated, how much would I pay someone to tell me exactly how to make enough to quit my job in a few months?

All readers have to do is read in maybe 30 minutes what it took me over 15 years to learn – and they’re off and running. I wish I’d had it so easy. I received the following comment just yesterday from an SEO writer who bought the book and is charging – and getting — more than I am.

Yet Another SEO Ebook Success Story: He Gets $40 an Article; I Get $25

The following comment was sent in to yesterday’s post entitled, Make Money w/Instantly Downloadable Ebooks: Turn into an e-Junkie

I was one of those who didn’t get my order instantly when I bought your book. I was a bit frustrated since I’m used to instant downloads as soon as I buy an ebook. But you were very professional in how you went about it and sent me my ebook. I also want to take this opportunity to thank you for your ebook.

I followed your ebook and did everything that you recommended and I cannot believe how good it worked!! It’s insane!! Let me post an email I got just last week:

“Thank you for contacting us. I have a particular format of articles we want. If you can do them I can offer you $40 per article. Otherwise we get seo articles for $10.

We need articles in this format to use our program. We currently have an article writer and we are always looking for talented SEO influenced writers. If you want we can try $200 worth of articles aka 5 articles. Let me know.”

This after submitting my rate of $35/article!!!!!

Thank you Yuwanda!

Ebook Sellers, Writers and Promoters: Don’t Devalue What You Know

I raised the price on the ebook with some trepidation. That had nothing to do with the content; it had more to do with an ingrained habit of devaluing what I know. As the success I’ve experienced as an SEO writer proves, when you know what others don’t, people are more than willing to pay you for it if they want/need it.

I dispense advice freely all the time – and really don’t mind doing so. However, what I give away for free is what many consultants charge hundreds of dollars for. And, I think when you continually give away valuable things people start to take you and your knowledge for granted. Or, they devalue it, eg, “everyone knows that” or “I could have found that out myself.”

In light of this, I’m making a concerted effort to stop devaluing my knowledge — which is really in a sense devaluing myself, my life, my experiences. As a female, I feel we have to pay particular attention to this tendency — especially in business.

Beware of the Snake Oil Salesman

I remember one time I went to this networking meeting. A business associate from the Chamber of Commerce I belong to invited me. He ran a networking business – the kind where you pay a fee to belong to each year. The guy was a few years younger than me and was a multimillionaire.

I was stunned after the meeting because the networking and PR techniques that his organization taught were things I learned years ago – and most of it wasn’t nearly as effective as he was touting. I know because I’d employed many of them. I never looked at him the same after that because the spin he put on his organization just wasn’t true in reality. He was trading off of people’s entrepreneurial hopes and dreams.

Advice for Selling Ebooks Online: Sell Only What You Believe In

All of this came flooding back to me after my talk with my former business mentor. I only sell products and services that I know work – usually because I’ve tried them. That’s why all of my ebooks are written from first-hand knowledge. I usually hit upon something that works and then think, “This could be beneficial to other freelancers too.” Let me write an ebook about it.

And, this is why first-hand information is so powerful.

This post has rambled on a little long, but I want to end with this, when pricing your products and services, think about the end value the user will receive. I did this recently when a client approached me about writing daily blog posts for his financial services blog. He thought my rate was high; I asked him what it meant to him to have a blog that was up and running instead of sitting stagnant because he didn’t have time to update it.

He responded, “Although I still think you’re a little high, I do feel better knowing that this is another personal project I’ve greenlighted instead of sitting on my to-do list.”

See, value for dollars. Now that’s priceless!

P.S.: What’s happened to sales since I raised the price of the ebook? I’ve made fewer sales, but more money.

Tomorrow in my weekly post at BloggingTips.com, I’ll delve into this issue a bit more with the post, Why Online Information Sellers are Changing the Home Business Landscape. Don’t forget to check out freelance writing jobs here. I’ll be uploading some more later on today.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com
http://inkwelleditorial.wordpress.com
http://seo-article-writer.com
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for a selection of ebooks on how to start a successful career as a home-based freelance writer. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers. An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Make Money w/Instantly Downloadable Ebooks: Turn into an e-Junkie

This weekend, I finally migrated all of Inkwell Editorial’s ebooks to e-Junkie, an instant download site. This means when you purchase an ebook from the site now, it will be delivered to you immediately — yeah! I’m slowly moving into the 21st century (new blog, instant downloadable ebooks, etc.) and it feels good.

I didn’t do this sooner because: (i) I tend to procrastinate on all things technology (I just hate having to learn new technological stuff); (ii) I’m busy and literally don’t have time to fiddle around with new technology (this took up a good chunk of my evening yesterday); and (iii) I could easily manage the orders I was getting manually.

But, growth inspires change. I was double working myself, meaning, I’d get emails from ebook buyers who said they didn’t get their order, only to realize that it was sent to another (non PayPal) address, so I’d have to forward it again. This got to be time-consuming and a bit ridiculous, all because I kept putting off signing up with an instant download site.

Moral of the story: (i) Inaction/procrastination can actually inhibit your growth; and (automation (ie, instant download)) rocks! Following is a little about e-Junkie if you’re considering selling information products online.

About E-Junkie

Cost: It only costs $5 per month to host up to 10 ebooks on this site (rates go up incrementally after that, eg, $10 for 20 products, etc.). After years of manually distributing my ebooks, it’s nice to log in and see a notification of payment received without having to do anything (ie, manually email ebooks to recipients).

FYI, you will pay a percentage of each sale, in addition to the monthy fee. But, it’s nominal (I think it’s something like 3%) and well worth it. The peace of mind of knowing that your product was delivered — and instantly — is priceless.

While I found the process a bit labor-intensive, maybe it was because I uploaded 10 ebooks in one sitting. I also took advantage of all of the peripherals like:

A Download Page Message (Optional): This is the email message sent to buyers along with the link to download the product.
 
A Thank You Page (Optional): This is the message your readers will receive when they purchase your product. e-Junkie offers a generic one, but I wanted a personalized one from me, so I took the time to craft it.

Details “Sales” Page (Required): This is the page where you have to tell the buyer something about the product. It is really your chance to spell out all of the benefits of your product, and can be as long as you want.

Tagline (Optional): A short, one-sentence explanation of your product (eg, Successful freelancers reveal in detail how they did it!). Tagline for the ebook, Advice from Successful Freelancers: How They Built Their Careers & How You Can Too!

Short Description (Optional): A chance to tell prospects yet again a little about the product (make it benefits oriented), eg:

Fourteen freelancers reveal how they started — and maintain — their thriving freelance careers. From a college student to a stay-at-home mom, they detail EXACTLY how they got to where they are — and how you can too!

This paragraph is for the same ebook mentioned just above.

Selling on the Web 101: The reason I took the time to upload the products and make use of all of these peripherals is because it has a direct impact on sales. The more times you have to “touch” (ie, speak to, convince, spell out benefits for) buyers, the better your chance of making a sale. And, once the ebooks were uploaded, I knew I wouldn’t have to touch them again. Remember this little tidbit if you are selling products on the web.

Additional Insight Learned from 6+ Years of Selling on the Web: People don’t part with money easily. You have to constantly convince them — even if they are somewhat interested. And, selling on the web is much harder because there’s no personal interaction. All you have are your words (your sales page). So every chance you have to communicate with them, take it. That one last tag line or short descriptive paragraph may just convert them into a buyer.

Make Money with e-Junkie: You can make money with e-Junkie in two ways: (i) sell e-Junkie products as an affiliate; or (ii) promote the program itself. There are a few thousand products from which to choose. It works similar to Clickbank in that you choose which products you want to promote. Visit the site to learn more.

Disclaimer: FYI, I haven’t signed up to e-Junkie’s affiliate program, so I’m just being a happy user here, not trying to promote anything. I may sign up as an affiliate at some point (another thing I have to make time for).

Inkwell Editorial e-Junkie Affiliate Program: I will be setting up an affiliate program for Inkwell’s ebooks in a week or so. I finished uploading all of the ebooks around 1 am last night (this morning), and just didn’t have the energy to turn around and complete this process. It’s relatively easy to do once the products have initially been uploaded.

Happy Monday everbody. Make it productive! And don’t forget to check out freelance writing jobs here. I’ll be uploading some more later on today.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com
http://inkwelleditorial.wordpress.com
http://seo-article-writer.com
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for a selection of ebooks on how to start a successful career as a home-based freelance writer. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers. An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

5 Signs It’s Time to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rates (Part II of II)

In Wednesday’s post I talked about the #1 sign, in my opinion, that it may be time to raise your freelance writing rates. Following are the other four.

2. You’re very busy. If you’re extremely busy – so much so that you are hiring help and can’t keep up with deadlines, then it might be time to raise your rates. You might currently be charging too little, or either you’re a very effective marketer.As you never want to pull back on marketing, raising your rates can bring in better-paying clients. That way, you still make the same money (or more) while working less hours.

3. You’ve introduced new services: Adding new services to your company offerings gives clients a “one-stop shop” option. Many are more than willing to pay more for this. That way, they don’t have to go this place for one thing, that place for another and track it all.

For example, I offer SEO writing services. I also do blog postings, press releases and general editing services. So, when my internet marketing clients come to me, they can package my services and offer them to their clients. In essence, they can get all of their web content needs in one place.

4. You haven’t raised rates in over two years: In my experience, it’s hard to raise rates in the freelance writing sector without some backlash from clients – unless it’s been a while since you’ve raised them, or you target a new, higher-paying niche.

An Assistant Managing Editor at a financial publisher I interviewed for the ebook, How to Really Make a Living as an Editorial Freelancer in 2004 noted, “Rates for freelancers hasn’t really changed much in the past five years - $25 an hour for copy editors and typesetters. . . . The only people who would make more than that are those who have been here a long time, are former staffers with needed skills and experience, or are working on a special project that requires additional skills.”Things are slowly changing, especially with new freelance writing sectors popping up, eg, SEO writing.

5. You want to grow: Sometimes, growth means raising your rates to attract a different type of client. This means challenging yourself as well, as I talked about in the first part of this post. As in, challenging yourself to do better work, different kinds of work and work that you didn’t think you could handle.

This could mean upgrading your skills, hiring more experienced help and/or partnering with others in your field. All of this leads to growth.As you can see, there are a myriad of things that could cause you to raise your rates. Heeding the signs will get you where you want to be in business that much sooner.

Don’t forget to check out today’s freelance writing job leads here.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com
http://inkwelleditorial.wordpress.com
http://seo-article-writer.com
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for a selection of ebooks on how to start a successful career as a home-based freelance writer. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers. An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Make 6 Figures in an Online Information Business

Today’s post over at BloggingTips.com is a continuation of last week’s post entitled, Is Your Online Information Business Ready to Grow Beyond You?.

Today, I lay out a concrete plan that will help you grow your online information business — or any business for that matter — from the static “just maintaining” phase, to the active “expanding” phase.

All this came about because of one decision I made (to start spending money to promote one of my ebooks), which I discuss in this post: Are You Stunting the Growth of Your Online Business? Funny how one decision has a ripple effect.

Enjoy the post, and don’t forget to check out today’s freelance writing job leads here.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com
http://inkwelleditorial.wordpress.com
http://seo-article-writer.com
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for a selection of ebooks on how to start a successful career as a home-based freelance writer. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers. An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

5 Signs It’s Time to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rates (Part I)

Have you ever had a dream come true? It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, has it ever happened for you? If you’re a regular reader of this blog and my newsletter, then you know that I ran my first marathon in 2006. I’ve been a runner since I was 18, that’s almost 25 years. But everyone said, you can’t call yourself a real runner until you’ve done a marathon. So, in my 40^th year, I did it. I trained for and completed one.

And let me tell you, if my house was burning down, my finisher’s medal would be one of the prized possessions I’d run thru flames to get. It’s that important to me. Well, you may be thinking, “Ballyhoo for you. What the heck does this have to do with raising freelance writing rates?”

Hold your horses. I’m getting there!

Achieving Financial Freedom as a Freelance Writer

I’m on the cusp of achieving another dream – financial freedom and mobility. And, it’s all due to SEO writing, a niche I discovered last year when I was on a quest for passive income, which I talked about in the post entitled, Are You Stunting the Growth of Your Online Business? I wrote, “This is amazing because I discovered the profitability of this niche while researching ways to make passive income, as I discussed in Freelance Writer’s Technology Month last November.”

While “achieving financial freedom as a freelance writer” may seem like an oxymoronic phrase, it’s not. You have to target a well-paying niche, know how to market and then build a client base. It’s really that simple.

To get to the next level though, I’m going to have to go through the fire once again. I’m going to have to raise my rates – and that terrifies me. Why? Because I seem to have hit a sweet spot with my pricing – enough to bring in clients pretty easily, but not cheap enough where I have to work 15 hours a day just to make a decent living. I’m comfortable; it’s a nice place to be.

The #1 Reason to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rates

And that’s exactly why I know it’s time to up the ante. Comfortability breeds complacency, which breeds laziness and a lack of motivation/ambition. If I rest on my laurels now, I know myself well enough to know that one of two things will happen.

I won’t work as hard to bring in new clients. I’ll chug right along where I am now, bitch and moan about where I want to be, but never do anything about it; or I’ll look for another venture to start. I get bored pretty easily and like some kind of entrepreneurial junkie, I look for new ventures to start to ease my boredom.

One of the hardest things for me to do as an entrepreneur is to stay focused. I’ve heard other entrepreneurs say the same thing. At any given time, I have two or three ideas for businesses I could start with relative ease rolling around my head. An old business mentor I had told me once that the way my brain works was really a blessing and a curse.

He said, “You’ll always be able to make it as an entrepreneur because you are a bottomless pit of ideas; but, the challenge for you will be staying focused on one idea for the long haul.” And, he was so right. The power of focus is amazing, as I wrote about in the article, Why Targeting a Niche is Important to the Success of Your Freelance Career.

4 More Signs It’s Time to Raise Your Freelance Writing Rates

In Thursday’s post, I’ll discuss the other 4 signs it may be time to raise your freelance writing rates. I wanted to separate this first reason out though because I think it’s so important. When you raise rates, you are really raising the bar for yourself.

You’re challenging yourself to bring in a different client base; to perhaps do better work; to set new income goals (which may seem unreachable, which makes it all the more scary); to turn down lower-paying work; etc. As you can see, it’s really not about raising rates, it’s about raising the bar for yourself – and this is the best reason of all to raise rates.

Stay tuned for the second part of this post on Thursday. Tomorrow’s post, entitled A Growth Plan for a Six-Figure Online Business, will be over at BloggingTips.com. It’s the second part to last week’s post there, which was Is Your Online Information Business Ready to Grow Beyond You?

Don’t forget to check out today’s freelance writing job leads here.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com
http://inkwelleditorial.wordpress.com
http://seo-article-writer.com
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for a selection of ebooks on how to start a successful career as a home-based freelance writer. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers. An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Why Keeping a To-Do List Can Make You 6 Figures in One Year

As I wrote in this post yesterday on BloggingTips.com, I’m a prolific list keeper. I think this started in college when I was working two jobs and taking 18 credits (six classes) at the same time. One of the first things I do when I log on in the morning is check my list. It’s nothing fancy (I’m not into gadgets). A simple MS Word file divided into two columns. Take a peek at my daily to-do list here (.pdf file).

There are four things I try to do every day. Namely, send the newsletter to new subscribers; make 3 marketing contacts (this number can fluctuate depending on business); do a blog post (Mon-Thurs); and do some writing on new ebooks I’m trying to get out. As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I’ve fallen behind on so much. But that’s a topic for another post. I always list these four duties on my calendar. Whether I always finish them is irrelevant.

Following is WHY Keeping a To-Do List Can Make You 6 Figures in One Year

In 2006, when I completed the one marathon I’ve run, I trained for almost a year. I read a book on it, printed out a training calendar and tried to meet the mileage goals on it. Some days I exceeded what was on the chart; other days I didn’t even come close. The point is though, I could look at it at any given time and see how much work I had to do to get where I wanted to be.

Lists are nothing but dreams on paper. When you write a list, what you’re really writing down is everything you’d like to accomplish. Those accomplishments come from an idea you have in your head. The dream goes something like this, “If I could organize my day to achieve my dream, this is what it would look like; this is what I need to do.”

If you’ve ever kept a list for any period of time, look back over it. If you had done everything on it – consistently – where would you be today? This is what I mean when I say lists are dreams on paper.

Following is HOW to Make 6 Figures in One Year by Keeping a To-Do List

Now, this is the fun part. Because I’m a freelance writer, I’ll use my career as an example. I have an income goal for this year. I take that number and divide it by number of working days. Let’s use $100,000 as an example. If I wanted to achieve that, I would divide it by 240. Why 240? 20 working days a month times 12 months a year equals 240. $100,000 / 240 days = $417/day (approximately).

And, this is why I keep a running total of my daily take, as listed in my calendar. If I know that I need to make $417 dollars every working day, then I can stay on top of my marketing.

Keeping a List Makes Marketing Easy, Fun and Most of All, Profitable

I slice and dice numbers a few ways. For example, $100,000/year is $8,333/month. With my current roster of 20-30 clients, how much does each one of them need to spend with me per month to reach that goal?

If they’re not reaching that goal, how many more do I need to bring on to reach that mark? Or, should I push my ebooks more? The point is, once you have a goal in mind, all you have to do is figure out how you’re going to get there. This is what taking charge of your career and pushing it to the next level is all about.

Why Working Without a List Can Lead to Failure

When you work without a goal in mind, you’re really just driving without a destination. You’re letting your career come to you, instead of going out and defining it. For example, I know I don’t want to have to write for a living the rest of my life.

At some point, I want passive income – enough of it to be able to write as little as possible. And, while I make good money doing what I do, I’m striving to get to the next level. For me, true financial freedom means not making enough to pay my bills, but making enough to spend large chunks of my time doing what I want to do (travel).

This means making concrete goals and putting together a concrete plan to get there. And, that’s all a list is – dreams (goals) on paper.

Do you have a list? Do you stick to it? Talk back and don’t forget to check out the Freelance Writing Job Leads a bit below!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com
http://seo-article-writer.com
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for a selection of ebooks on how to start a succesful career as a home-based freelance writer. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers. An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writing Jobs

Freelance Article Writer (although I don’t like to post jobs from bid-for-pay sites, sometimes I do b/c if you can land an ongoing gig with one of these companies, it can be great steady income. Please, please, please, if you do bid, don’t bid pennies. Writing 500 words for $2 will get you nowhere but the poorhouse – fast!)

Freelance Writer for Dog Magazine

New website looking for freelance writers

Freelance Web Writers

Part-Time Bloggers

Technology Blogger

Freelance Writing Jobs from the Public Request Section of Constant-Content.com (read more about this here).

Title: mortgage industry
Description: I am creating a website which will contain many articles relevant to the mortgage industry. I am looking for articles which relate to the following topics. Buying and selling a home, FHA lending, Refinancing, First time buyer, loan modifications, foreclosure, Short Sales, Loan limit increases, reverse mortgages.
Price: $10-20
Article amount: approx 100 articles per month
Content length: TBD
Subjects: Buying and selling a home, FHA lending, Refinancing,First time buyer,loan modification,foreclosure,short sales,loan limit increases, reverse mortgages.

Title: How to read your credit report
Description: I need an article that describes main sections of consumer credit report and some definitions of the credit report. Something like this but not so detailed. Thank you. Ruslan Sabitov
Price: $20-30
Article amount: 1
Content length: 400
Subjects: Article needed: How to read your credit report
Notes: I would like to buy full rights on this article

Title: Sports Betting and Horse Racing
Description: Looking for articles related to sports betting and in particular horse racing. Any related article will be good and used for my blog.
Price: $10-20
Article amount: 10
Content length: 400
Subjects: Horse racing, sports betting, football betting, bet fair, betting systems

Title: Announcement of New Branding and Identity
Description: An article to announce a new, exciting rebranding of our company. We have not released our new branding yet, so the site will be showcasing the old identity. We want a article that would speak of the new brand, promote it, and how it adheres to our values. We would to close with what we can do for the customer and to contact us further.
Price: $40-50
Article amount: 3
Content length: 350 words
Subjects: New Brand and Identity
Notes: If you are interested in the article, then please ask me questions through the Q&A section of this request.

Title: what makes a great graphic, multimedia and web design company
Description: what makes a great graphic, multimedia and web design company stand out beyond the rest would like the article to cover excellent personalized service, knowledgeable \”experts\” in the fields, integrity on all things (price, time frame, deliverables), timeless design styles, \”out-of the-box\” thinking for great unique solutions.
Price: $40-50
Article amount: 3
Content length: under 300 words
Subjects: graphic design, print design, multimedia design/presentations, website design/development.
Notes: please review our company at www.urbangeko.com

Are You Stunting the Growth of Your Online Business?

Publisher Note: Before I discuss the post, let me welcome everyone to the new home of Inkwell Editorial’s blog. We’ve moved from blogger to WordPress. My company is growing and to reflect that growth I needed more options, which WordPress provides. The look and feel of this blog will change over the next few weeks, as I have much more work to do. Or, should I say to outsource.

So, pardon the appearance over the next few weeks as this spot gets tweaked, redesigned and loaded with features. It’s all in the interest of serving you better.

How to Grow Your Online Business Beyond You

Now, on to today’s post . . . Today over at BloggingTips.com, I wrote a post entitled, Is Your Online Information Business Ready to Grow Beyond You? As evidenced by the introductory note here, my company is experiencing growing pains.

In the post, I divulge the three things that made me realize, “Hey, you need some help here!” And, I’m in the process of getting it.

It’s funny though, one thing brought all of this to a head, rather suddenly. Although, the underpinnings of the change have been brewing for a few months.

How One Decision Can Spur Massive Action for Growth

My most successful ebook to date, the one on SEO writing, has been doing so well just from the exposure on my site that I decided to put some money behind it. Realizing that new eyeballs would be brought to my site and blog as a result, I thought, “Is this the image I want to present?”

Although I’m not ashamed of my web presences at all, I realized that there were some things I needed that were just beyond my capability. I mean, yeah, I can take the time to learn about cascading style sheets, applets and java, but I don’t want to. I’m much too busy.

So I did what was in my immediate capability (eg, migrate my blog from blogger to wordpress), and am outsourcing the rest. In next week’s post at BloggingTips.com, I’ll share with you what I’m doing to prepare for more growth — and you can too.

Sometimes, we don’t get where we want to be in life because we’re content. SEO writing has not only boosted my bottom line, it’s given me a way to start to really focus on developing more passive streams of income. This is amazing because I discovered the profitability of this niche while researching ways to make passive income, as I discussed in Freelance Writer’s Technology Month last November.

Things really do have a way of coming full circle.

Posting Schedule: One last thing: I’ll be posting  2-3 times a week over the next few weeks, as opposed to the 3-5 times I usually post. It’s a bit hectic around here these days. With all of these changes for my own business, I have to stay on top of client deadlines, managing freelancers, marketing, etc. I should be back to a normal full posting schedule in about a month.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
http://seo-article-writer.com/
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com/
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for a selection of ebooks on how to start a succesful career as a home-based freelance writer. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers. An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be

Blog Posting Rates: 6 Things to Consider Before Lowering Your Rate

The post I wrote today over at BloggingTips.com, my regular Wednesday blogging gig, was inspired by yesterday’s post here.

Blogging for Pay: How to Know When/If You Should Lower Your Rates

The topic is blogging rates. In yesterday’s post, I answered a question an SEO article writer sent me regarding clients who wanted her to lower her rates. That post was entitled How to Respond to Clients Who Want You to Change Your Rates for Steady Work.

On the heels of that, one of my recently acquired clients that I write blog posts for requsted a lower rate on an ongoing blog posting gig. So, I thought it was a good time to share the guidelines I follow when trying to determine if /when I should lower my blog posting rates. Read this post at BloggingTips.com: Blog Posting Rates: 6 Things to Consider Before Lowering Your Rate.

I’ve Written It, Am Doing It & Have Proven that My Formula for SEO Writing Success Can Be Duplicated

What’s this about? The price of the SEO writing ebook will be raised as of 4/28 (this coming Monday). Want to learn how to make some real money as an SEO writer (I routinely bill $200-$500/day)? This is your last chance to get it at the introductory rate of only $9.95. Details here.

Don’t forget to check out the freelance writing job leads below.

Sincerely,

Yuwanda Black, Publisher

http://inkwelleditorial.com/

http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/

http://seo-article-writer.com/

http://seo-articles-for-sale.com/

How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter

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Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers. An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writing Job Leads from Helium.com’s Marketplace
Note about Writing for Helium: I signed up here a few months ago. I submitted two articles just to get some search engine juice. They don’t pay for articles up front like AssociatedContent.com, EXCEPT the Marketplace (you have to sign up to be eligible for these assignments).

What is Helium’s Marketplace? The Marketplace is where publishers list assignments they need and writers submit them. The best one from among the bunch is chosen. I haven’t take on one of these assignments, but have done some research and many freelance writers have found great success here. The pay from some is very good, usually from a low of $10 on up to $200 bucks! Not bad, IF your article is chosen. It’s just another freelance writing outlet you might want to try, especially if you’re just starting out. Learn about Helium’s Marketplace here.

Article on Attention Deficit Disorder, 400-500 words, $10

Solutions to Abdominal Pain, 400-500 words, $20

Side Effects of Brith Control, 400-500 words, $20

Dealing with Dementia, 400-500 words, $20

What is a colonoscopy, 400-500 words, $20

What is Gout, 400-500 words, $20

Karaoke Wedding Memories, 400-500 words, $20

How to Choose an Assisted Living Facility, 400-500 words, $20

There are tons more listed there to. There are deadlines for submission, so check these listings out before they’re all gone.

http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogger.php?inventory_key=VFKD16BL7WTJ8P65WB3A&feed=1

How to Respond to Clients Who Want You to Change Your Rates for Steady Work

Last week, I received the following email from a freelance writer who bought my ebook on SEO writing, was landing clients at one rate (after only a couple of weeks of marketing), and wondered if she should go lower for this one client who promised steady work.

She wrote:

Hi Yuwanda, I received the following response to one of my marketing emails from an SEO company. I thought I was pretty bargain basement at $20 when I have no experience. I’ve been marketing for a couple of weeks, and I’ve already gotten a couple of clients so far (emphasis added) so I’m not willing to work for these rates; I don’t think I need to. But I’m wondering how I should respond to him at this point? Could he be just testing to see if I’ll bite? Thanks BL
**********

POTENTIAL CLIENT’S EMAIL TO BL

Hello BL, Thanks for getting in touch with me. We are currently working with a writer team that offers a lower price. ($10 per 500 word article). So far we have been happy with the quality of the work. If you can lower your fees we might be able to send you some work in the future. Thanks
**********

Read my response here. Don’t forget to check out the freelance writing job leads below.

ANNOUNCEMENT: The price of the SEO writing ebook will be raised as of 4/28 (this coming Monday). This is your last chance to learn how to make some real money as an SEO writer (I routinely bill $200-$500/day) at the introductory rate of only $9.95. Details here.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
http://seo-article-writer.com/
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com/
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S: Want to learn how to make at least $250/day writing simple 500-word SEO articles? Read how here.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers. An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writing Jobs from the Public Request Section of Constant-Content.com (read more about this here).

Title: Looking for short articles
Description: I\’m looking for monthly short articles about how we can help change the environment (go green) and eco-friendly products. I\’d like a column in my magazine each month. Also looking for a \”Lifestyle\” and \”Health\” column each week.
Price: $10-20
Article amount: monthly
Content length: short
Subjects: see above
Notes: I\’m starting an online magazine and need help with editorial. Anyone that\’s interested in helping I could sure use the help. Hope to hear from you soon!

Title: Sun safe Tips
Description: Protecting yourself in the desert sun and staying active.
Price: $50-100
Article amount: 2-3
Content length: 1,200 to 1,500
Subjects: Summer Heatlh tips in the Sun Summer Sun and your skin Health Tips for summer
Notes: Upbeat and fun, but informative

Title: Know your credit score to negotiate better boat loan
Description: Titles: Know your credit score to negotiate better boat loan Buying a boat? Check your Credit Score Talk about how useful it is to know your Credit Score and monitor your credit history before making any financial decision, especially boat buying. Knowing your credit score and credit report detail will help boat buyers to negotiate better boat loan with dealers and boat loan professionals. Boat loan professionals look at the following in your credit report • Payment history • Credit score • Debt amount • Bankruptcies If you are looking to buy a boat immediately, and for the best price possible, obtaining a credit report before you start shopping is a must. In the middle and in the end of the article mention about free Credit Score and 30 day free trial credit monitoring. Use it to receive detailed report and see who viewed your report recently. Get your free credit report and score in seconds at GoFreeCredit.com
Price: $10-20
Article amount: 2-3
Content length: 150-250
Subjects: Write the article with informational approach not with advertising approach. Article will be placed on OceanList.com and will be talking about importance or why it is useful to know your credit score.
Notes: The audience consist of boat buyer, boat dealers, etc.

http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogger.php?inventory_key=VFKD16BL7WTJ8P65WB3A&feed=1

SEO Article Writing Scams: One Freelancer’s Nightmare

Before we get to today’s entry, a little reminder: The newest issue of Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter was published yesterday. The leading story in this issue is how to make $75,000 to $100,000/year as an SEO writer. I outline 8 keys to my success since I started in this niche, in hopes that it will help others. You can read it here free. Subscribe to receive future issues.

Now on to today’s post . . .

Freelance SEO writer Roy de Silva sent the following (very long) comment to my blog post entitled, WARNING: New Scam Job Site Targeting Freelancers. I break up the comment by adding some tips on how to prevent this from happening to you.

The Biggest Cheat There Ever Was, Is And Will Be - Elliott Leee

I am sure what I am going to say now will shake off the socks of every content writer present in the world. This is the bitterest experience anyone can ever have, so be warned. I have been mightily cheated by Elliott Leee, and I call upon everyone to be very vigilant about this person. Here’s my story.

I am a freelance writer and this Elliott Leee contacted me through one of them (job site). His username is richuser2008 there (later I found out he has one more username richuser2009 also, on the same site). Okay, he contracted me to do 100 articles in 2 days for him. The articles were of 500 words each, and on various topics. The payment decided for them was $600.

Normally, freelance sites allow for escrow, and I prefer that mode, but this Elliott Leee said he will not escrow because he didn’t have funds. Still, I needed the money, so I accepted the work. I have a kid aged 1.5 years and parents aged 61 and 73 years to look after. So I accepted. That was my mistake number one.
***********************

My Take: The poster is right, this was a huge mistake. What should have clued him in: (i) the large order; (ii) the crazy turnaround time (2 days for 100 articles – come on!); and (iii) the buyers inability to escrow (ie, follow prescribed guidelines as outlined by the job posting sites).

Scammers often use job sites for two reasons: (i) it’s the easiest way to target a lot of freelance writers quickly; and (ii) a lot of writers who use these sites are accustomed to working for pennies (no knock to the freelancer). Writers who charge more tend to stay away from sites like this (I know I do), or at least not waste their time responding to orders like this one.

Read the rest of this extensive tale here — with more valuable lessons thrown in. If you troll the web looking for work, this is a must-read.

Don’t forget to check out today’s freelance writing job leads below.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
http://seo-article-writer.com/
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com/
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S: Want to learn how to make at least $250/day writing simple 500-word SEO articles? Read how here.
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, “starving freelancer.” Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Multiple Streams of Income for Freelance Writers: An interview with multi-talented freelancer Shel Horowitz. Shel shares tips on how to market your freelance writing services on a shoe-string budget (he’s written five books on grassroots marketing); how he created multiple streams of income (writing, speaking, consulting) and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer: In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Today’s Freelance Writing Jobs / SEO Writing Jobs
Note about job listings: I list positions that offer immediate work – and future work. Keeping your pipeline full requires taking a long-range approach and thinking out of the box (eg, sending in your credentials to FT postings). That’s why explanations may be given w/some listings.

Atlanta Real Estate Website Writing Needed

PUBLISHER NEEDED for AUSTIN pages of NAT’L GREEN MAGAZINE (great one to pitch for freelance writing assignments)

Contract Web/Copy Editor(s)

Family/Parenting Bloggers

Freelance Writing Jobs from the Public Request Section of Constant-Content.com (read more about this here).

Title: Illustration of a Castle
Description: I am looking for an illustrator to provide illustration of a castle. The illustration must contain… a visualization of what a well guarded castle might have looked like. Example: The illustration must contain a land mass on which sits a steep hill on which the castle sits inside of a perimeter wall which sits inside of a moat on the hill… The idea is to show the various layers of security in creating a fortress…
Price: $50-100
Article amount: 1
Content length: 0
Subjects: Illustration of Castle
Notes: Please do not begin to create a work of art without having submitted a concept sketch…
Title: Chinchillas
Description: Would like a story - approximately 500-600 words on what a chinchilla is and the care of this animal. website references for more info as well.
Price: $30-40
Article amount: 1
Content length: 500-600
Subjects: Chinchillas Notes: This is for a Pet Magazine so needs to be geared to pet owners or potential owners of Chinchillas

Title: Health, Fitness, Exercise and all that is healthy
Description: Looking for articles on these topics. No Ghost writers, wanting articls of 500 to 1500 words on what\’s listed in the title. Must submit background with topic and I would like research done through ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)and for content to be up to date within the last 2 years. I have been working with Lynn Diamond and would like her to be able to submit the work she has done. Looking for multiple articles on these topics but really want the work to be researched through collegiate journals and all work to be documented giving credit where it is suppose to be avoiding any chances of plagerism.
Price: $10-20
Article amount: many above 10
Content length: 500 to 1500
Subjects: health, obesity, weight loss, weight gain, child obesity, nutrition, meals, diets, exercise, cholesterol, heart disease, studies done on these topics, anything related to exercise and fitness!!
Notes: I look foward to reading through the submissions

http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml_blogger.php?inventory_key=VFKD16BL7WTJ8P65WB3A&feed=1